episode_0062

The study in the mansion was filled with furniture and decorations of a dark tone overall.

There was a large walnut desk, vigorously pounded by Albriss, made for official business.

Eleonore and Ogenie, along with two knights facing each other on the sofa, were present.

Various items like the low red carpet on the floor or the long, dark gray curtains hanging beneath the window contributed to creating an atmosphere in the study that was both subdued and somewhat suffocating.

Thus, the anger Albriss had been exuding until just now, as well as the interrogation carried out by Captain Everett against the kneeling young female knight, all these emotions were not sharp but heavy and thickly layered.

In such an atmosphere,

“Oh, really! Albriss!”

Eleonore’s sharp and piercing voice, cutting through the thick and heavy anger, instantly changed the air in the study that had been subdued.

Eleonore glared at the two men in front of her with eyes ablaze.

Everyone wore bewildered expressions.

Albriss, who had been venting his deep-seated anger for his precious younger sister’s safety. Ogenie, the maid who failed to properly attend to the lady, bowing her head deeply. And the knight who knelt in guilt, along with her captain.

Everyone in the study looked at Eleonore expressing sharp anger with puzzled faces.

She was their usually soft-spoken sister and their lady.

Of course, Eleonore had been a typical girl when she was young. However, as she matured and the signs of a lady began to show on her body, she adeptly concealed her emotions beneath her exterior like other women.

Moreover, the way she expressed herself did not involve shouting.

“Why do you keep interrupting me!”

Especially since she was accustomed to addressing her elder brother with respect.

Albriss, taken aback by the resounding voice, fumbled to continue speaking with a face full of confusion.

“Um, well, you see, Eli. It’s just that—”

“Just what is it!”

Eleonore’s voice rang out sharply. Albriss found himself at a loss, his tail metaphorically between his legs.

“So, Eli… This matter is related to the Order.”

“What does the Order have to do with anything! It’s our family’s Order, after all! I am a legitimate member of House Beorn, why shouldn’t I be concerned?”

“Well, it’s not that… It’s just that… Ugh.”

Having been abruptly cut off by his younger sister, Albriss turned his head to the side. Now, her sky-blue eyes were fixed on the middle-aged knight dressed in immaculate armor.

“Then, Captain Everett, speak up. Am I truly not supposed to be concerned?”

Captain Everett, who seemed to have suddenly found himself in hot water, had no response different from Albriss.

Looking at the two men sinking one after the other, Eleonore continued.

“And besides, that mine was supposedly abandoned for a long time.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

The captain responded, subdued by Eleonore’s assertiveness.

“Truly, Sir. If my brother-in-law truly cared for me that much, wouldn’t it be reasonable to send someone ahead to check the situation before departing for the mine? Don’t you think so, Sir?”

“Ah, yes. That’s true.”

Listening to Albris’s hesitant response, Eleanor shifted in her seat and approached her knight, Violle, who was kneeling beside her. Resting her hand on his shoulder over his white armor, Eleanor continued speaking.

“Even so, isn’t it too much to place all blame for these arrows on my own knight here?”

There was no immediate reply. Both Albris and Everett simply listened to Eleanor’s words, lost in thought.

“Of course, I too acted without proper verification, so we can’t simply label the victim as unfairly caught in the middle.”

With those words, a brief silence followed, as Eleanor gradually lowered her voice while unraveling her reasoning, akin to when she first stepped into the room.

However, within her, there was no longer the suffocating tension from before. Everyone was quietly contemplating their thoughts.

Observing each of their expressions, Eleanor continued speaking.

“The events of that day were a mistake on all our parts. It wasn’t the fault of foreigner or Violle here. So, how about we quietly resolve this matter here, Albris, Sir. And Captain Everett.”

Albris raised his hand, stroking his stubbled chin.

There was nothing particularly wrong with her words.

It wasn’t as if fanaticism was so distant from the capital. Despite having had time since then, Albris’s failure lay in not sending anyone.

Despite claiming to cherish Eleanor, ultimately, he had put her in danger.

“What do you think about that, Captain?”

Albris’s voice remained calmly composed.

“I will abide by the lady’s words.”

Though part of the family’s knighthood, the decision was strictly the duty of the Knight Commander.

Only after Everett spoke did Violle’s expression visibly ease. Seeing her smile at the golden-haired knight, Eleanor nodded lightly and excused herself.

“Then, I suppose I have no further business here, Sir. I shall take my leave.”

“Ah, very well. Go rest upstairs. The priest is coming this afternoon to tend to your wounds, as I’ve heard. Prepare Ellie for that.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Eleanor bid a small farewell to the Knight Commander and exited the room.

Watching Eleanor cautiously leave the study, Everett quietly remarked to Albris.

“Perhaps she’s concerned about the Count and Countess’s reaction. The lady seems to hold quite a firm resolve.”

“Hah. I hope she doesn’t resemble my sister Alenia too much…”

Albris sighed softly, gazing blankly at the firmly shut door of the study.

#.

Square by square.

The sharp nib of the fountain pen glided across the smooth surface of the paper, making a sound as it passed over the neat lines on the quiet office desk. Julian, as usual, moved his hands swiftly, examining the documents meticulously.

Beside Julian, Christian half-lay on the oversized sofa, seeming out of place, with a nearly completed crossword puzzle from the newspaper laid out on the table.

Placing the newspaper down, Christian looked at his longtime friend.

Julian, seated at the desk, appeared unchanged from his usual self. However, to Christian, his actions felt strangely alien.

The silver fountain pen, which had elegantly adorned the paper with its flowing script, now moved stiffly with added force today.

The crimson eyes, always racing across densely printed characters, occasionally paused in their tracks, staring blankly to while away the time.

Observing his friend’s unusual demeanor, Christian stood up from his slouched position on the sofa and sat upright.

“If you’re so worried, why not reach out to her at least once?” Christian’s voice broke the silence, prompting Julian to lift his gaze from the documents.

“Worried? What could I possibly be worried about?”

“Ha. Feigning ignorance, are we?”

Christian rose abruptly from the sofa and approached Julian. Sensing his movement, Julian delicately placed the precious fountain pen his mother had gifted him on the tray, ensuring it wouldn’t fall.

“Eleanor, my dear.”

Christian chuckled lightly, placing a hand on Julian’s shoulder.

Julian’s unease had begun after receiving a report from Ernst, who had visited the office earlier.

Ernst informed Julian of the events that had unfolded at the mansion, citing information obtained from a spy planted in the Beauregard townhouse.

The Duke of Verberitz had spent a night at the mansion, and their relationship had progressed to the point where they used endearing terms for each other.

It was decided that the mine would be transferred to Verberitz, and even mentioned was the scar Eleanor would bear on her shoulder.

The emotionless man delivered his message dryly, leaving an unexpected remark at the end.

“Your Grace, please consider your relationship with Miss Eleanor seriously.”

Frankly, Christian did not care for Ernst. His thin, unimpressive physique, cold gaze, and emotionless voice were qualities he found distasteful.

Moreover, using spies, plotting behind one’s back—these were far from Christian’s style.

However, he couldn’t help but strongly agree with that final statement. Julian was overly fixated on Eleanor, not bothering to see beyond her facade.

While the previous Eleanor might have been content with occasional attention, the current one had changed. Since recovering from her illness, she no longer clung to Julian as before.

“Why not send her a letter? Or invite her to dinner.”

“I’ll handle that myself.”

“And what if the Duke of Verberitz steals the lady away?”

Thud.

Julian slammed his fist on the desk, causing the pen on top to roll off with a loud clatter.

“Steal her away? Me? Julian Valatier, stolen by some northern upstart?”

“Upstart, you say. You heard it too. It belongs to that Verberitz mining estate.”

Picking up the fallen pen and placing it back on the desk, the long-time friend gazed at Julian with a seriousness uncharacteristic of their usual interactions.

“Julian, if you keep idling like this, what will you do if someone truly takes Eleanor away?”